This application is based on, and claims priority from, Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-9764, filed on Jan. 18, 2001, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-327963, filed on Oct. 25, 2001, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a balance weight for a two-wheeled vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to keep a rotational balance of a wheel of a two-wheeled vehicle, a balance weight is mounted to the wheel at a nipple of a spoke, i.e., a tension adjusting portion.
A conventional balance weight for a two-wheeled vehicle is made from lead. The conventional balance weight has a substantially cylindrical outside configuration with a lateral groove, concaved from an outside surface toward a center of the balance weight, which extends over an entire length of the balance weight. The balance weight is fixed to the nipple by inserting the nipple into the groove, and then pressing to deform both side portions of the groove from an outside surface so that the nipple cannot exit from the groove.
However, the conventional balance weight poses an environmental problem because it is made from lead.
If another metal other than lead, for example, iron, is used while maintaining the configuration of the conventional balance weight, the rigidity of the weight will be too great for the weight to be deformed when it is fixed to the nipple, which makes the fixing of the balance weight to the nipple difficult.
An object of the present invention is to provide a balance weight for a two-wheeled vehicle, which is made from iron (for example, cast iron) in substitution for lead, and can be stably fixed to a wheel, and easily mounted to the wheel.
The above object can be performed by a balance weight for a two-wheeled vehicle according to the present invention, as follows:
A balance weight for a two-wheeled vehicle according to the present invention includes a weight made from iron and a clip made from spring steel.
The weight comprises an outside surface, a first axial end, a second, opposite axial end, a transversely extending intermediate surface located between the first end and the second end, a first axially extending portion located between the first end and the intermediate surface, a second axially extending portion located between the second end and the intermediate surface, a first laterally extending groove for holding the clip, formed in the first axially extending portion, and having a groove bottom portion and a groove inlet portion, the groove inlet portion being smaller in width than the groove bottom portion, and a second laterally extending groove formed in the second axially extending portion so as to recede from the outside surface.
The clip includes a pair of arms, a connecting portion connecting the pair of arms and which is disposed within and held by the first laterally extending groove, an engaging portion formed in the connecting portion and raised in a direction opposite to said pair of arms, a bent portion connected to the connecting portion at one width end proximate to the transversely extending intermediate surface of the weight and bent from the one width end toward a space between the pair of arms, and an obliquely extending portion connected to the bent portion and extending axially obliquely in a direction away from the transversely extending intermediate surface of the weight.
When the balance weight is mounted to the two-wheeled vehicle, the pair of arms and the obliquely extending portion of the clip elastically contact or hold a nipple of a spoke of the two-wheeled vehicle, whereby the clip is fixed to the nipple. The first laterally extending groove holds the clip, and the engaging portion is pressed to the weight, whereby the weight is fixed to the clip.
With the balance weight for a two-wheeled vehicle according to the present invention, since the balance weight is made from iron, the balance weight is environmentally friendly, unlike the conventional balance weight made from lead.
The balance weight is mounted to a wheel of a two-wheeled vehicle at a nipple (a spoke adjusting portion) of the wheel. The nipple is inserted into the second laterally extending groove of the weight, while the pair of arms of the clip is widened to receive the nipple in the clip. The pair of arms and the obliquely extending portion of the clip are elastically pressed to the nipple whereby the balance weight is fixed to the clip. The clip cannot exit from the first laterally extending groove of the weight whereby the weight is fixed to the clip. In this instance, since the pair of arms and the obliquely extending portion of the clip elastically hold the nipple, the balance weight can be mounted to the nipple stably. Further, since the balance weight can be mounted to the wheel only by pushing the balance weight to the nipple, the mounting of the balance weight to the wheel is easy.